Steps
by dids107
Summary: The steps in Wally and Artemis' relationship, from total strangers to lovers.


_Step one: Acceptance._

"But why can't we have Speedy? He belongs on this team!"

Kaldur sighed. "Red Arrow needs to…sort some things out right now. He won't be around. Artemis, however, is Green Arrow's new protégé. We need someone who we can count on."

Wally glared at the blonde lounging in the corner. She looked up, catching his eye, and smirked. He opened his mouth to yell when Kaldur cut in.

"Wally."

Wally forced himself to face the Atlantean.

"She is a part of our team now, which means she's a part of our family now, too."

The speedster fought the urge to roll his eyes at the cheesiness.

"Fine." He spat.

"Good," Kaldur nodded. "Shake hands."

"_What_?" Wally whipped around to face the leader. "Why?"

"To show her that you understand and accept her."

Groaning, he thrust his hand in Artemis' direction. She scowled and clasped it. While they went through the formality, he made sure to squeeze extra hard.

_Step two: Tolerance._

Wally hated Artemis. Hate, _hate __**hate **__**HATED**_her. She was bossy, rude, sarcastic, and mean. Basically, an all-around bitch. How could have Batman ever let her on the team? Did he even talk to her? Five minutes with her and Bats would've torn his hair out, and Artemis would've been on the next plane outta here.

But, she was a good fighter. And she had saved his life on multiple occasions. Plus, she got along pretty well with the others, and she gave M'gann someone to talk to. So he tolerated her, because she kept the Martian happy. If M'gann's in a good mood, it's way easier to try and get her to go out with him.

_Step three: Trust._

There were in the middle of a battle. Klarion the Witch Boy was shooting random spells at all of them. Robin and Miss Martian were trying to get to his cat, Superboy and Aqualad were fighting the magician, and Kid Flash and Artemis were assigned to take back the weapon Klarion had stolen-artificial DNA, groundbreaking technology for the sick. Wally was running around, searching for the vial, while Artemis jumped from tree to tree, covering him. He wasn't sure how he felt about that-in fact, if he pissed her off he was pretty sure she'd turn around and shoot _him_ instead.

Suddenly, he felt a hot wave on the left side of his face. Turning, his eyes widened as he realized Klarion had sent a huge fireball in his direction. He tried to turn, but his foot was stuck in a root. Right as he felt he was about to die right then and there, a distinctive shout resounded in the air.

"_GOT YOUR BACK!" _Artemis swung in from some hidden tree branch and shot an arrow right at the glowing mass.

_Is she crazy_? Wally thought. _How the hell is one arrow going to stop me from becoming Wally Steak? _But all the thoughts were gone from his mind as her arrow exploded, engulfing him in sticky glue.

Later, at Mount Justice, the Flash was quietly reprimanding him while Batman went over the mission with the team.

"The point is, you almost _died_, Wally," said Barry as he finished up his speech. "Just count yourself lucky that Artemis was there to save you."

Wally caught Artemis' eye across the room. He gave her a half-salute, and she inclined her head at him. It wasn't a huge gesture, but the archer knew what he meant. Wally trusted Artemis. Now, they were a team.

_Step four: Friendship. _

A day off at Mount Justice was just what the Young Justice needed. Working every night had Superboy falling asleep into his food three times-_this morning_. So Batman (and the rest of the Justice League) decided that they would take on the crime ("Just this _once_," Batman said, but there was a minute smile tugging at the corner of his lips), and the teenagers got to spend the day "bonding", as Black Canary put it.

Connor crashed right on the living room couch. Robin, sitting on his legs, was battling aliens with Artemis, who brought her copy of _Halo: Reach. _Kaldur was watching them, trying to figure out the game. Atlanteans didn't have Xboxes. And M'gann, of course, was in the kitchen, trying out a new cookie recipe, while Wally flirted (or at least tried) with her.

"Oh, dear!" cried M'gann as she pulled a smoking tray from the oven. "Another batch burned!" She tossed them over to where a pile of baking sheets was stacked, each blacker and more brittle than the next.

"Babe_, relax_. I'm sure they're just as sweet as you are," Wally chuckled to himself, "if that's even possible." Grinning at her, he grabbed one burned, crispy lump of the top of the pile and proudly bit into it.

Bad idea.

Wally tried smiling, but it came out as more of a grimace. "They're absolutely _delicious_, M'gann! I love them!"

The Martian smiled at Wally sadly. "I don't need to be a mind-reader to know what you think of the cookies, Wally," she said glumly. "I'll just throw these away before I poison someone."

Wally felt bad as M'gann floated away, but he was also secretly glad. Those cookies looked and tasted like they had been through hell. He awkwardly stood in the kitchen alone, until Robin called him over.

"Hey, Wally, we need help getting past this level! Hook up your controller and join us!" The speedster didn't need a second invitation. In about five seconds flat, he had raced to his room, brought his controller back, hooked it up and plopped on the couch next to Artemis.

"Hope my dashing good looks don't distract you too much," he smirked, waggling his eyebrows. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"I'll try to stay focused." She replied, but she was smiling.

For almost the whole afternoon, Wally, Artemis and Robin fought fiercely. Rounds after rounds of armored aliens came at them, but the team was undefeatable. Even Kaldur joined in after a while, but decided he would rather observe on the side with Superboy, who had woken up on level 5. The trio was having a great time, and for once, Wally and Artemis didn't fight. Instead, they were a dynamic duo, taking down the bad guys by the hundreds. They were all set to complete an objective they had wasted the last hour on, when the screen suddenly went black.

"Ahh, _what_?" cried Wally, throwing his hands in the air. "What just happened?"

"Open your eyes, Kid Idiot. We've run the Xbox dry." Artemis' tone was condescending, but her eyes were twinkling playfully. On any other occasion, he would've been met with a barrage of witty and snide remarks regarding his intellect, but today, Artemis was all smiles. Well, maybe not _smiles,_ exactly, but she was definitely in an unusually playful mood. Wally decided not to question but go along with it.

"We would've had more time if _someone_ didn't spend all night watching reruns of _The Office_ on Netflix!" he didn't mean it, really, but he said it just for the sake of the argument. Instead of retaliating, Artemis laughed-_actually laughed_-and shoved his shoulder.

"Shut up," she grinned. He responded by pushing her off the couch, but at the last second, she grabbed his hand and they both tumbled onto the floor, giggling like schoolgirls.

"Get a room, you lovebirds," Robin said from his perch on the arm of the couch. Instead of denying his claim, they simultaneously tackled Boy Wonder. As Wally held him in place, Artemis unleashed her mad tickling skills, and soon the kid was reduced to hysterical tears and begging them to stop. When Wally fist-bumped Artemis over Robin's head, he couldn't control the thought that passed through his head-

_-I'm glad to have a friend like Artemis._

_Step five: Crush._

The mission was simple. Get in, thwart the bad guys, and get out (they weren't even super villains-just regular henchmen). Of course Wally had to go and screw everything up.

He opened his eyes and found out he was lying in a crisp, white bed. Glancing around, he realized he was in the medical area of Mount Justice. Wally tried to remember…_Hot…I was very hot…and then…blackness. _Glancing at the door, he saw Black Canary pass by.

"Black Canary!" He cried out hoarsely. "I'm really hungry, d'you think you could…"He trailed off as Dinah cast one look at him and darted out of sight. _What the hell_? He sat up in the bed and decided to stare at the wall in front of him until somebody else came along.

He didn't have long to wait.

Within a few minutes, Black Canary was back, with Robin, M'gann, and Connor in tow. While Miss Martian and Black Canary fussed over him, Rob and Supey filled him in on what happened.

"Well, we were almost out, but then…" Robin trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"What happened?" Wally asked curiously.

"You accidentally set yourself on fire," Connor said flatly. Wally gaped at the two boys.

"_What?" _

"You were running toward the bio ship, and you ran over some loose gunpowder. We're pretty sure the friction from your boots was enough to start a spark, and before we could do anything, you were up in flames."

"How did I…how did I get out?" Wally asked.

Robin grinned. "Artemis ran in and pulled you out." For the second time that day, Wally stared, open-mouth, at the two boys in front of him.

"Artemis? How-_why_-"

"She literally ran into the fire, grabbed you around the arms and dragged your body to the ship." Wally was confused. Sure, he and Artemis had their moments, but he didn't think they were close enough that she would _risk _her _life-_when no one else did-to save him. He felt his face heat up under Robin's knowing smirk and stared at the sheets.

"Wally," a deep voice cut in. "I am pleased to see you are up and-_oomph_!" Kaldur was cut off as a wiry blonde pushed past him. They stared at each other for half a beat until Artemis lunged forward and threw her arms around him.

"I thought…I thought…you…_dead_…" He awkwardly patted her head, surprised (and a bit…pleased?) at this _very_ uncharacteristic action, and avoided the stares of the rest of the team.

"It's okay, Artemis. I'm not dead…yet." She pulled back sharply and glared, looking more like the Artemis he knew.

"Do not make jokes of this, _Wallace_. What the _**hell**_ were you thinking, running over loose gunpowder? Are there any brains in your head, or do they all dribble out when you run?"

"Like I knew there was fucking _gunpowder_ on the ground!" he shot back. "Is it my fault those losers left it outside?"

"You _asshole_!" she snarled. The rest of the team nervously stood to the side, knowing their fight is serious when they start swearing like drunken sailors. "Everyone else made it to the ship without super speed! You didn't need to show off like that!"

"I'm the asshole?" he shouted. "Funny, _I_ don't remember purposely running into any fires recently!"

"I was saving_ your_ sorry life, you dick!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Robin scowl. "At least be grateful about it!" Then Wally noticed her arms. Burns, running up and down them. Suddenly, Wally felt like the world's biggest douchebag. He owed everything to this girl in front of him, and here he was, arguing with her as if he was a five-year-old.

"Look, Artemis…I really am thankful that you saved my life. If you weren't there, who knows what would've happened to me? I seriously owe you big time. I know I'm not good with words, but seriously, _thank you_. I mean that, all the way from the bottom of my heart." He looked up at her, and her gaze softened a bit.

"Well, you get points for sappiness, I guess," she admitted grudgingly. Then she softly smiled and hugged him (again). Wally felt his stomach twist.

"I'm really happy you're not dead, Baywatch." She whispered in his ear. He blushed, trying to ignore the jumpy feelings in his abdomen and the smell of her hair in his nose and her hands on his back-and she let him go all too soon.

"You too," he mumbled, wondering why he suddenly felt cold.

_Step six: Like._

He was going insane. That was the only explanation for it. The stress of school and the team, plus the drama of being sixteen was finally getting to him. His brain had short-circuited, causing him to have some kind of sick, twisted attraction to Artemis.

He tried ignoring her, but that didn't work out to well. For some reason, his eyes always subconsciously strayed to her figure. (It was worse when she noticed-he swears she gave him permanent brain damage with her slaps).

He tried spending a lot of time with her, to see if he would get bored and move on. That plan backfired as well. They couldn't last five minutes without fighting, but even when he was angry at her he still couldn't stop-dare he say it-_liking_ her. Overall, he found himself even more fascinated with the blonde archer.

Wally didn't know what to do with himself. He thought it was just hormones acting up. Artemis was the girl he spent the most time with, so he figured it was just normal teen behavior. But he knew a small part of him (_very_ small, on a molecular level, okay?) was genuinely attracted to her. Whatever, though. Like he told Black Canary-he's comfortable being in denial.

"Hey," a voice interrupts his thoughts. He looks up, and-_speak of the devil_-Artemis is standing over him, a plate of cookies in one hand and three carefully balanced glasses of milk in the other. "M'gann made cookies, but she and Connor snuck off somewhere. So I brought them over to share," she set the plate down and handed him a glass. He tried not to flush when his fingers accidentally closed around hers.

"What's the third glass for?" he questioned, hoping she wouldn't notice his red face.

"Boy Blunder, of course," she replied, as Robin came down from the ceiling and landed into the seat next to Wally.

"Wonder, Artemis. _Wonder_. How many times do I have to tell you?" he scowled. Artemis grinned and rolled her eyes at Wally. Nervously, he smiled back, then stuffed a cookie into his mouth. Robin and Artemis stared at him.

"What?"

"Your powers of digestion never cease to amaze me," drawled Artemis, and Robin snickered.

"I think you've given Zatanna nightmares about your mouth," grins Rob, and they both laugh.

"Oh, ha-ha-hardy-ha," Wally said through a mouthful of cookie. Artemis looked at him, then abruptly leaned forward, brushing her hands across his face. "What are you-"he began to ask.

"You've got crap all over your face," she commented, both their cheeks tinted pink. She lightly brushed her fingertips across his lips and he involuntarily shivered, knocking his milk all over the table and dripping down onto the floor.

"Nice going, Cassanova," Rob muttered. Wally didn't think he could get any redder than he already was when Artemis looked at him and sighed.

"I got it," she said wearily, trudging back into the kitchen. Once she was gone, Robin turned Wally around to face him.

"Dude, admit it," he smirked. "_You totally love Artemis_." Wally felt his jaw drop open, spilling some chewed up cookie onto the table.

"What?" He tried laughing. "No _way_, dude. Think of what you're saying!" He grew nervous at the glint in the little bird's eye.

"Then I guess you don't mind that she has a _boyyyfriend_!" Robin teased, dragging out the word.

"Boy-_boyfriend_?" Wally choked out.

"Yeah, her super-popular _senior_ boyfriend. Everyone says they're the absolute _cutest_ couple."

"How long have they been together?" he finally managed to ask, trying to keep from exploding into a full-out panic attack.

"Why, you jealous?" Rob's knowing gaze on him was mortifying.

"I just wasn't expecting it," was his lame excuse. Instead of answering him, Robin winked at him and scampered off just as Artemis walked back in the room with two towels. She handed him one and began mopping up the milk with the other. Silently, he helped her, feeling a mixture of anger and despair. He finally gave up on wiping the drink and instead sloshed it around on the table, splashing her.

"Watch it, Kid," she snapped, straightening up. "You've flicked it into my hair!" He sloshed some more, spraying her shirt. "Dude!" Without a word, Wally brought both his fists down on the table, fully wetting both their faces. She furiously glared at him, wiping milk out of her eyes. "_Wally_!"

"_Artemis_!" He mimicked her voice, not in a lighthearted, teasing way as usual, but in a cold, mocking tone. She looked enraged and hurt at the same time.

"What's your problem?" Artemis wasn't yelling, but seemed generally concerned about him. "Did something…did something happen at home?" He glared at her and stood up. _Like she cares_, he thought bitterly. _She'll probably just go home and laugh about this with her prick of a boyfriend._

"I think you should leave now," he said quietly, his intense gaze fixed on her eyes. "Wouldn't want to keep your boyfriend waiting." Artemis suddenly looked hopelessly confused.

"What?"

"Your boyfriend. You know, the one that's a big rich senior at bigger and richer _Gotham Freaking Academy,_ the guy who buys you dinner and takes you to the country club?"

"Wally," she softly interrupts, but he pretended he didn't hear her.

"He waits for you at your locker, then carries your books to class, right? And let me guess, the whole school is gushing about how _you two are made for each other_ and how _you're the perfect couple_, and then after school he probably takes you for a ride in his fancy-shmancy car and buys you nice gifts and pretty jewelry, and it's not the cheap kind, but the really expensive kind, like we got for my mom's birthday, and you've met his family and he's met yours…" He realizes he's ranting, but he can't stop. All his emotions and feelings for Artemis seem to be pouring out in this speech. "…and you probably do everything together, and you share all your secrets, and he knows you're Artemis, I mean, he knows you're the _hero_ Artemis because if he didn't know your name he'd be a pretty shitty boyfriend, but he's not, because he's obviously _perfect_-" He's cut off as Artemis punches him in the stomach.

"Wally!" She yells, and he sees there's a mixture of pity and…_is that amusement?..._on her face.

"What?" He shouts back, and she lays a calming hand on his shoulder.

"I don't have a boyfriend." For a minute, he considers jumping out the nearest window, because honestly, this day has been way too confusing so far.

"You don't?" he whispers. She chuckles lightly.

"No. I don't. Where did you even get that idea?" For the umpteenth time that day, Wally's face heats up. How could he have ever been so stupid as to listen to Robin's tales? No way he was ever going to admit that to her.

"I…uh, thought you mentioned something like that to M'gann…" he trailed off. She raises one eyebrow.

"Then why didn't you say anything until now? We were fine five minutes ago!" He can't think of an explanation fast enough, so he just stares at his shoes, embarrassed. Artemis seems to sense that he doesn't want to divulge any more information, and doesn't press further. He doesn't know what she's going to say next, and his head shoots up as he suddenly feels her lips on his hot face.

_Is she kissing me on the cheek? _He wonders briefly, then closes his eyes at the touch.

"Catch ya later, Baywatch. I'll have to take you up on that country club offer sometime," she says slyly, throwing a wink over her shoulder as she heads off to her room. Wally is left standing in the middle of the room trying to figure out what just happened to him when a familiar cackle is heard up above.

"_ROBIN!_"

_Step seven: Love._

Wally shifted in his seat, ignoring the kicks at his one good shin, and tried listening to Batman speak. He thought a going over the mission was just a Young Justice kind of thing, but turns out, even the Justice League does it. _Maybe it's just because the Team is visiting_, he muses, glancing at Nightwing and the new Robin. He shot a quick glare at the blonde archer across from him, who decided to dig her heel into his foot. Trying to be the mature adult as he was, he chose to take the higher road and ignore her instead of responding when she threw her pack of gum at him. You would think being in the League would make Artemis act more mature (or the fact that they're both twenty-one). He's honestly trying to listen to the Bat talk, but Artemis (or Tigress, as she likes to be called now) has deadly aim, and he's pretty sure she's taken out his last working leg. After she gives him one particularly painful jab to the knee, he snaps, forgetting where he is.

"Quit kicking me!" he loudly snarls at her, and everyone's head whips around at him. He can feel Batman's glare and sees Nightwing's facepalm, and can practically hear Aqualad's reprimand-well, if Kaldur were still their teammate.

"What?" Artemis says in a snarky tone. "_Can't handle it?_" Oh, great. He knows _exactly _where this is going.

"For the last time, Artemis, I know what I was doing!" He can't believe she's still angry at him for pushing her out of the way. Any normal person would be eternally grateful if someone saved them from an oncoming train.

"No, you don't! Don't you realize you could've died?" He gestures to himself, the cast on his arm and the brace on his leg.

"Yeah, but I have _super healing_, Artemis! There was more of a chance of survival for me than you!" He doesn't know why they are yelling, but he can't stop his voice from rising in volume.

"Nobody asked you to save me!"

"Nobody asked _you_ to jump in front of the Amtrak!" He crossed his arms (well, arm) tightly over his chest, wincing at the pain. Artemis' eyes caught the movement.

"Look! You can barely function! On what planet does super-speed help you heal from getting hit by tons of metal?"

"I just told you-_super-healing_!" He knew he won that part of the argument, but Artemis switched tactics at rapid speed.

"I can take care of myself. I would've jumped out of the way! You don't need to treat me like I'm five!"

"You think I don't know that? I was just protecting you! _I was trying to keep you safe!_"

"So you thought that you _almost dying_ would be a better option for me?"

"Don't be stupid! That's not what my plan was! I know you can handle yourself!"

"THEN WHY DID YOU PUSH ME OUT OF THE WAY?" she screamed.

"OH, I DON'T KNOW!" he roared back. "_MAYBE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!_" His words left a ringing silence echoing across the room. Every single eye in the house was focused on him and Artemis. Wally wanted to bang his head into the wall. Of course he loved Artemis, _of course he did_, but this wasn't exactly the way he wanted to tell her. Not in the Watchtower, in front of League members and in their sweaty, grimy costumes. This was probably the most unromantic thing he has ever done, but it's not like he can go back and time and _prevent_ himself from saying it, so Wally decides to just roll with it.

"Look, Artemis," he begins, not really sure what he's supposed to say, "I know that you're not comfortable with relying on people." Oops. That was kind of the wrong thing to say, because her eyes are flashing dangerously. "I mean, I know that you are not…used to depending, because of your dad…" Zatanna's making '_Stop Talkin_g' motions at him, and Artemis eyes are narrowed and hostile. "Oh, jeez, I've kinda screwed everything up, I know. I wish I could just take everything back…" He trails off uncertainly, and she frowns.

"Everything?" Artemis questions.

"Everything." He knows that was the absolute worst thing to say the moment _after_ he's said it. Artemis looks completely and devastatingly heartbroken.

"Fine," she says in a small voice, and sits down in her seat without another word. Wonder Woman, sitting next to him, jerks his arm down so he's level with her face.

"_What are you doing?_" she hisses in his ear. "Profess your undying love for her _right now_ or I swear I will kick you so hard it will ruin _all_ chances of having any more speedsters running around." Wally gulps.

"Artemis…" he starts. She refuses to look at him. "You know I didn't mean _everything_ everything, right?" Her arms cross even tighter over her chest, and she glares at the floor. In about half a second, Wally sped around the table to her and knelt in front of her. "Look at me. Arty, babe, we've been dating a long time. Five years, in fact. You should know by now I sometimes say things without thinking, and that the filter in my brain can be somewhat dysfunctional." He is happy to see a very small trace of what could possibly be a miniscule smile. "But you should _also_ know that I mean every word I say. It's not a bad thing that you don't trust or depend on people as easily as others. You don't have the same upbringing as the rest of us, and the fact is that you even standing here, with the Justice League, which is against everything your father taught you, makes you even stronger than us." She's looking at him now, not angry, sad, or happy. Just a blank expression.

"I know you can handle yourself. I _know_ that. But you can't possibly think I'm gonna just sit at the sidelines and _watch_ you, do you? I'm worried about you, every moment of my life. _'Where's Artemis? Is she safe? Will she be able to come through? Is she alright?'_ Those questions are constantly running through my head. It's not because I think you're weak or defenseless. By the way, how can you even think that when you kick my ass almost every day?" A laugh goes around the room, and even Artemis lets out a small chuckle. "I worry about you because…well, because…" Wally's mouth feels a little dry, and he swallows hard. "Ahh, screw it. I love you, Artemis." He looks her dead in the eye when he says that, feeling a bit nervous and pretty humiliated-but the feelings melt away when her face splits into a huge grin.

"Cool," she replies. Wally just stared at her. Then he stood up.

"Are you serious? I pour my heart and soul out to you, and tell you that I _love_ you, and all you can say is 'Cool'?" She gives him a wicked smirk.

"Oh, _please,_ Baywatch," she laughs. "I've seen deeper things posted on Facebook." Wally has absolutely no idea how to respond. _You're a bit mean to a girl, and she almost cries. You tell her you love her and she laughs in your face. What the hell, woman?_

"I just basically threw myself out there for you in front of all these people and you can't even return the gesture?" He pouts. Artemis laughs again, the only sound in the room, and gets up to join him.

"Wally. You're lazy, clumsy, a bit slow, and you tell bad jokes. You push my buttons and you rile me up and you're _always annoying._ Some days I would really like to throw you off a cliff, but you make up for it. You are always there for me. You listen to me rant and yell and you put up with my anger. If I were a ship, you'd be my anchor, because you keep me from floating away from everyone. And so, for what it's worth," she leans in close to his face at this part, "I love you too." Wally beams at her, then grabs her face and kisses her. She gives a yelp of surprise, then molds into him. They stand there, entwined, while everyone else laughs and cheers and exchanges money.

This kiss is different than the other times, though. Usually when Wally kisses Artemis, it's like she's a special treat, something extraordinary that he only gets once in a while. It's passionate and fun and so full of _want_.

Today, he feels as if she's a long-lost part of his soul-something he didn't know he needed, but now that he has it he doesn't know how he ever functioned without it. It's like he's found his other half, and he doesn't want to break apart because he _needs_ this more than anything. If it stops or goes away, he just might die.

Wally is so happy that Roy originally left the team.


End file.
